qRT-PCR of Inflammatory Mediators in Brain of Etanercept and mifepristone treatment in Gulf War Illness model
Description
Over 30% of veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War experience a chronic multi-symptom disorder, Gulf War Illness, that has been associated with underlying persistent neuroinflammation as a result of chemical and physiological exposures experienced during deployment. Current research is largely focused on identifying effective treatment strategies for the underlying cause of Gulf War Illness instead of treating specific sets of symptoms. Through the computational evaluation of blood biomarkers and gene expression in veterans with Gulf War Illness, we previously identified that a combination of anti-inflammatory and anti-glucocorticoid treatment may prove effective in treating the underlying neuroimmune dysfunction associated with Gulf War Illness. Here, we have evaluated combined treatment with the anti-TNFα drug, etanercept, and anti-glucocorticoid, mifepristone, in an established long-term mouse model of Gulf War Illness of combined physiological stress and nerve agent exposure. Supporting the computational modeling of this treatment, we found that this drug combination significantly alleviates the underlying neuroinflammation associated with Gulf War Illness. The fusion of computational and in vivo preclinical treatment evaluation may provide a highly useful and translationally-relevant means by which to identify successful treatment paradigms for Gulf War Illness.